AIN interaction through wireless digital video network

Abstract

A control node, such as a services control point, of an intelligent telephone network interfaces to a wireless broadband network for signaling communications with broadband terminals. In normal operation, the terminals present video or other broadband information carried on the wireless network, typically via an associated television set. During processing of a telephone call, a central office switching system of the telephone network will recognize a predetermined event in call processing which triggers a query to the control node. Ultimately, the control node will return an instruction to the switching system to continue call processing. However, as part of its own processing, the control node sends a message through the broadband network to the broadband terminal of the subscriber to which the telephone call relates. If operational, the terminal may display call related information contained in the message, e.g. Caller ID information for an incoming call. The display may also prompt the user to input information. If so, the set-top terminal will transmit the subscriber input information upstream through the wireless broadband network to the control node. In such a case, the control node formulates its instruction to the central office switching system to control further processing of the telephone call, at least in part, based on the subscriber input information. The call processing of the present invention applies to both incoming and outgoing calls.

We claim: 
     
       1. A communication system comprising: local telephone communication links;   a trunk circuit;   at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of said local communication links;   a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems, comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems;   an interoffice signaling network, coupled to the central office switching systems and the service control point, said interoffice signaling network providing signaling data communication links separate from the local communication lines and the trunk circuit; and   a wireless network for distribution of broadband information and signaling information through a plurality of terminal devices, said wireless network comprising an interface point for communicating signaling data relating to a telephone call from the service control point through the wireless network to a selected one of the terminal devices.   
     
     
       2. A communication system as in claim 1, wherein: the communication links are telephone links; and   the central office switching systems are telephone switches.   
     
     
       3. A communication system as in claim 2, wherein a plurality of the telephone links are telephone lines. 
     
     
       4. A communication system as in claim 2, wherein the interoffice signaling network is adapted for transporting signaling system 7 (SS7) compliant signaling messages. 
     
     
       5. A communication system as in claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises: a headend generating a plurality of broadband program signals and a downstream signaling data signal; and   at least one antenna radiating the broadband program signals and the downstream signaling data signal into a service area covering the plurality of terminal devices.   
     
     
       6. A communication system as in claim 5, wherein the interface point is an element of the headend. 
     
     
       7. A communication system as in claim 5, wherein the headend comprises: a broadcast headend system generating a plurality of broadband program signals; and   an interactive headend system generating a broadband signal containing interactive service information.   
     
     
       8. A communication system comprising: local telephone communication links;   a trunk circuit;   at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of said local communication links;   a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems, comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems;   an interoffice signaling network, coupled to the central office switching systems and the service control point, said interoffice signaling network providing signaling data communication links separate from said local communication lines and the trunk circuit; and   a wireless network for distribution of broadband information and signaling information through a plurality of terminal devices, said wireless network comprising an interface point for communicating signaling data relating to a telephone call from the service control point through the wireless network to a selected one of the terminal devices, and wherein said wireless network comprises:   a broadcast headend system for generating a plurality of broadband program signals and an interactive headend system for generating a broadband signal containing interactive service information; and   at least one antenna for radiating the broadband program signals and downstream signaling data into a service area covering the plurality of terminal devices;   wherein the interface point is a gateway processor controlling at least some interactive operations of the interactive headend system.   
     
     
       9. A communication system as in claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises: a headend system producing a signal containing multiplexed channels, each channel carrying a transport stream comprising multiplexed streams of digitized broadband information;   at least one broadband wireless transmitter for broadcasting the signal containing multiplexed channels into a service area; and   a wireless data network carrying said signaling information.   
     
     
       10. A communication system as in claim 9, wherein said at least one broadband wireless transmitter comprises a plurality of transmitters located at spaced apart sites transmitting said signal containing multiplexed channels so that areas of propagation from respective ones of the transmitters substantially overlap over each other in at least a major portion or the service area. 
     
     
       11. A communication system as in claim 9, wherein said wireless data network comprises a two-way wireless packet data network. 
     
     
       12. A communication system comprising: local telephone communication links;   a trunk circuit;   at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of said local communication links;   a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems, comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems;   an interoffice signaling network, coupled to the central office switching systems and the service control point, said interoffice signaling network providing signaling data communication links separate from said local communication lines and the trunk circuit; and   a two-way wireless packet data network for distribution of broadband information and signaling information through a plurality of terminal devices, said wireless network comprising an interface point for communicating signaling data relating to a telephone call from the service control point through the wireless network to a selected one of the terminal devices, wherein said two-way wireless packet data network comprises:   a headend system producing a signal containing multiplexed channels, each channel carrying a transport stream comprising multiplexed streams of digitized broadband information;   at least one broadband wireless transmitter for broadcasting the signal containing multiplexed channels in to a service area; and   a wireless data network carrying said signaling information; and   wherein the two-way wireless packet data network comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers for providing wireless data communications with modems in the terminal devices.   
     
     
       13. A communication system as in claim 12, wherein the two-way wireless packet data network further comprises at least one wireline access point in wireless communication with the plurality of wireless transceivers, said communication system further comprising a landline packet data network coupled to provide two-way packet data communication between the wireline access point and the interface point. 
     
     
       14. A communication system as in claim 13, wherein the landline packet data network comprises a frame relay network. 
     
     
       15. A communication system comprising: local telephone communication links;   a trunk circuit;   at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of said local communication links;   an interoffice signaling network coupled to the central office switching systems and providing signaling data communication links separate from the local communication lines and the trunk circuit;   a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems and coupled to the interoffice signaling network, said service control point comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems; and   a wireless network for distribution of broadband information through a plurality of terminal devices and transport of signaling information from the terminal devices representing at least certain user inputs, said wireless network comprising an interface point for communicating at least some of the signaling information to the service control point and for communicating signaling data relating to a telephone call between the service control point and, via the wireless network, to one of said terminal devices.   
     
     
       16. A communication system comprising: local telephone communication links;   a trunk circuit;   at least two separately located central office switching systems interconnected via the trunk circuit for selectively providing switched call connections between at least two of said local communication links;   an interoffice signaling network coupled to the central office switching systems and providing signaling data communication links separate from the local communication lines and the trunk circuit;   a service control point, separate from the central office switching systems and coupled to the interoffice signaling network, said service control point comprising a database storing call processing data associated with a plurality of the local communication links for control of call processing through one or more of the central office switching systems; and   a wireless network for distribution of broadband information through a plurality of terminal devices and two-way wireless signaling data communication with the terminal devices, said wireless network comprising an interface point for communicating signaling data relating to a telephone call from the service control point to a selected one of the terminal devices and at least some signaling information relating to a user input from the selected terminal device to the service control point.   
     
     
       17. A communication system comprising: a headend system producing a signal containing multiplexed channels, each channel carrying a transport stream comprising multiplexed streams of digitized broadband information;   at least one broadband wireless transmitter for broadcasting the signal into a service area;   a two-way wireless packet data network;   a plurality of receiver systems within the service area, each receiver system comprising: (i) an antenna for receiving a wireless transmission of the signal,   (ii) an interface module processing the received signal to select one of the channels and acquire a transport stream from the selected channel,   (iii) a digital signal processing section for processing digitized data from a selected stream of digitized broadband information contained in the acquired transport stream to present selected broadband information, and   (iv) an RF modem for two-way communication of signaling messages to and from the receiver system via the wireless packet data network; and     an interface providing two-way data communication between a service control point of an intelligent telephone network and the two-way wireless packet data network, to provide two-way communication of signaling messages between the service control point and a selected one of the receiver systems.   
     
     
       18. A communication system as in claim 17, wherein the interface module comprises: means for selectively receiving the selected channel; and   means for demodulating a signal from the selected channel to acquire the transport stream from the selected channel,   wherein the RF modem is an element of the interface module.   
     
     
       19. A communication system as in claim 17, wherein each receiver system further comprises: a control for supplying user input information to the receiver system, and   a programmed central processing unit, wherein the programmed central processing unit controls selection by the interface module and the digital signal processing section in response to certain of the user input information and transmits messages through the RF modem in response to other user input information.   
     
     
       20. A communication system as in claim 19, wherein the RF modem receives messages via the two-way wireless packet data network and in response thereto supplies information to the programmed central processing unit. 
     
     
       21. A communication system as in claim 20, wherein in response to at least some information supplied by the RF modem, the programmed central processing unit causes the digital signal processing section to generate a display of said at least some information. 
     
     
       22. A communication system as in claim 17, wherein the headend system includes an interactive system comprising: a server outputting selected frames of video information;   a packet data multiplexer for packetizing and multiplexing the selected frames of video information into the one transport stream; and   a gateway processor responsive to signaling messages received via the wireless packet data network for controlling the server and the packet data multiplexer.   
     
     
       23. A communication system as in claim 22, wherein said gateway processor also serves as said interface. 
     
     
       24. A communication system as in claim 17, wherein said at least one broadband wireless transmitter comprises a plurality of transmitters located at spaced apart sites transmitting said signal containing multiplexed channels so that areas of propagation from respective ones of the transmitters substantially overlap over each other in at least a major portion or the service area. 
     
     
       25. A communication system as in claim 24, wherein the receiving antenna comprises a directional antenna. 
     
     
       26. A communication system as in claim 17, wherein each receiver system further comprises an antenna coupled to the RF modem for transmission and reception of signals between the RF modem and the two-way wireless packet data network. 
     
     
       27. A communication system as in claim 17, wherein the two-way wireless packet data network comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers for providing wireless communications with the RF modems. 
     
     
       28. A communication system as in claim 27, wherein the two-way wireless packet data network further comprises at least one wireline access point in wireless communication with the plurality of wireless transceivers, said communication system further comprising a landline packet data network coupled for two-way packet data communication with the wireline access point. 
     
     
       29. A communication system as in claim 28, wherein the landline packet data network comprises a frame relay network. 
     
     
       30. A method comprising: detecting an incoming telephone call for a predetermined subscriber premises through a central office of a telephone network;   in response to detection of the incoming telephone call, sending a first message through an interoffice signaling system of the telephone network from the central office to a service control point, said first message including call related data;   in response to the first message, transmitting a second message from the service control point through a signaling channel of a wireless broadband network, said second message being addressed to a terminal device for processing broadband information received through the wireless broadband network at the predetermined subscriber premises, said second message including information relating to the origin of the call; and   presenting the information relating to the origin of the call from the second message on a broadband information output device driven by the terminal device.   
     
     
       31. A method as in claim 30, wherein the call related data includes a telephone number of a calling party, and the information relating to the origin of the call includes the telephone number of the calling party. 
     
     
       32. A method as in claim 30, wherein the information relating to the origin of the call includes a name. 
     
     
       33. A method as in claim 30, wherein the step of presenting the information relating to the origin of the call comprises overlaying the information relating to the origin of the call on broadband information processed and presented on the output device by the terminal device. 
     
     
       34. A method as in claim 30, further comprising: receiving input information from a user at the terminal device;   transmitting a third message from the terminal device through a signaling channel through the wireless broadband network to the service control point, said third message containing a representation of the input information;   transmitting a fourth message from the service control point to the central office, said fourth message including an instruction derived in response to the representation of the input information; and   processing the incoming call in the central office based on the instruction.   
     
     
       35. A method as in claim 34, wherein the step of processing the incoming call comprises completing the call to the predetermined subscriber premises. 
     
     
       36. A method as in claim 34, wherein the step of processing the incoming call comprises completing the call to a destination corresponding to the input information. 
     
     
       37. A method comprising: detecting an outgoing telephone call from a predetermined subscriber premises through a central office of a telephone network;   in response to detection of the outgoing telephone call, sending a first message through an interoffice signaling system of the telephone network from the central office to a service control point, said first message including information identifying a selected destination of the call;   in response to the first message, transmitting a second message from the service control point through a signaling channel of a wireless broadband network, said second message being addressed to a terminal device for processing broadband information received through the wireless broadband network at the predetermined subscriber premises, said second message including information identifying the selected destination of the call;   presenting the information identifying the selected destination of the call on a broadband information output device driven by the terminal device;   receiving input information from a user at the a terminal device;   transmitting a third message from the terminal device through a signaling channel through the wireless broadband network to the service control point, said third message containing a representation of the input information;   transmitting a fourth message from the service control point to the central office, said fourth message including an instruction derived in response to the representation of the input information; and   processing the outgoing call in the central office of the telephone network based on the instruction.   
     
     
       38. A method as in claim 37, wherein the information identifying a selected destination of the call includes a dialed telephone number. 
     
     
       39. A method as in claim 37, wherein the step of processing the call comprises completing the call to the selected destination. 
     
     
       40. A method as in claim 37, wherein the step of processing the call comprises completing the call to another destination corresponding to the input information.